Fantasy Football: Week Three FanDuel Picks

Well week two of the Fantasy Football season sure was interesting. My chalk play Eli Manning had a tough game last weekend and his receivers didn’t do him any favors by dropping passes and making those of us who rostered Manning miserable. What’s done is done and now it’s time to forget about the past and look forward to week three. I have these quarterbacks for you to consider for week three of the Fantasy Football season at FanDuel.

Quarterbacks

The San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers ($8,000) was outstanding last weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars scoring 23.8 FanDuel points. This week Rivers and the Chargers take on the Indianapolis Colts in a game with a 50.5 point over under with the Colts being an early 2.5 point home favorite. The Colts have allowed QB’s 18.72 Fantasy points per game this season and the Chargers underdog status plus the high over under totals suggests a shootout with the Chargers coming from behind this weekend. Rivers might be highly owned this week but at his price point you might want to consider him anyway.

The Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers ($8,900) is the second highest priced QB on the main slate this weekend but he has a great matchup on Sunday at home against the Detroit Lions. This season the Lions have allowed QB’s to score a whopping 26.01 Fantasy points. That’s a TON of points and that 48 point over under with the Packers being an early 7 point favorite is surely enticing. Rodgers has been solid this season averaging 21 FanDuel points per game and the high price tag and being a 7 point home favorite might drive Rodgers ownership down this weekend.

The Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer ($8,200) has a good matchup this week against a Buffalo Bills defense allowing QB’s to average 16.54 Fantasy points a game. That’s not too many points but we have to also consider the Bills have played the New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens I’m taking that stat with a grain of salt. Palmer has been solid this season averaging 21.6 FanDuel Fantasy points per game but what leads me to believe this could be a big night for Palmer is the 47 point over and under Vegas set this at plus the Cardinals are an early 4 point road favorite. That suggests to me a very good game flow with Palmer hopefully throwing the ball quite a bit in Buffalo. I think Palmer might go overlooked this week and if he does and has a big ballgame you might be smiling all the way to the bank.

The Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck ($8,700) has had a nice season thus far averaging 23.3 FanDuel Fantasy points a game and if you decide to look away from Rivers Luck might be your guy. The Chargers have allowed QB’s to score 23.29 Fantasy points a game this season and as I said before this 50.5 point over under is awfully tempting. Luck is throwing the ball over 40 times per game and if the spread is accurate he’ll be coming from behind in this one and hopefully perhaps throwing more than usual. Luck might see a bit higher ownership this week but he is a good contrarian play to those with their hopes set on Rivers.

Last week I touted Tennessee Titans QB Marcus Mariota ($7,700) and he delivered nicely. This week Mariota has a very good matchup against the worst defense in the league when they host the Oakland Raiders. This season Mariota is averaging 17.7 FanDuel Fantasy points a game and this 48 point over under and Tennessee an early 1.5 point favorite is certainly appealing to me. Not to mention the Raider are allowing QB’s to average a league worst 29.63 Fantasy points against QB’s this season. This game just might wind up being a shootout and I’m thinking Mariota will come out on top in the battle of the points between him and the more than likely higher owned and more expensive QB Derek Carr ($8,100).

Running Backs

Last week two of my main running backs got hurt and wound up leaving the game early. Those injuries killed my lineup and my hopes of an early retirement. If this happened in a season long league my team would just about he finished for the season.

Not so in Weekly Fantasy Football at sites like FanDuel. Even though I took a beating last week with the Detroit Lions Ameer Abdullah and the Seattle Seahawks Thomas Rawls going down this week brings new life and of course another shot at getting running backs who will hopefully take us to the promised land this week…..and here are five running backs that I think will do just that at FanDuel.

The Arizona Cardinals are early 4 point road favorites against the Buffalo Bills this Sunday afternoon and I really like the Cardinals RB David Johnson ($8,400) in this one. This season Johnson is averaging 18.5 FanDuel points per game and he’s doing it both rushing and receiving. This season the Bills are allowing RB’s to score 20.45 Fantasy points and that bodes well for a three down all purpose back like Johnson. The 47 point over under also encourages me to seriously consider Johnson this week in both cash and tournament play.

The San Diego Chargers RB Melvin Gordon ($7,100) is in a very good situation this week for a couple of reasons; one third down back Danny Woodhead is out for the season and the Chargers have a good matchup on the road against the Indianapolis Colts. This game has the highest over under on the main slate (51.5) and Gordon has a matchup against a Colts defense allowing RB’s to score 34.55 Fantasy points per game this season. The Colts are currently a 3 point home favorite and even though this indicates the Chargers might be throwing the ball more often Gordon has averaged 18.7 FanDuel points per game and last week caught 3 balls out of the backfield for 18 yards. I think Gordon is more of a tournament play but I would also consider him in cash games Sunday.

Last week against the Colts Denver Broncos RB C.J. Anderson ($8,000) played in 74 percent of the snaps and in the process recorded 16.8 FanDuel points. This week Anderson and the Broncos travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals in a game where the Bengals are a 3 point favorite. The Bengals this season has allowed RB’s to score 20.70 Fantasy points per game and I think with the low over under total (41) this one is going to be a meat grinder for both teams and that should make Anderson someone we should strongly consider targeting this week in cash games and maybe tournaments also.

Is this the week Dallas Cowboys rookie RB Ezekiel Elliott ($8,100) finally has a breakout game? I hope it happens this Sunday night when the Cowboys entertain the Chicago Bears featuring an over under of 44.5 with the Cowboys currently favored by 7 points. Over the past 2 games Elliott has averaged just 12.7 FanDuel points per game and will probably continue to get about 80 percent of the snaps. The Bears allow RB’s to score 17.60 Fantasy points a game but this still looks like a prime opportunity for Elliott to show us all what we’ve been waiting to see. His floor suggests we should only use Elliott in cash games and that’s what I am suggesting you do with him this week.

The Philadelphia Eagles have limited their opponents RB’s to just 15.40 Fantasy points a game but they haven’t seen anything like Pittsburgh Steelers RB DeAngelo Williams ($8,800). He’ll probably be the highest RB owned this week and it’s also the last week we’ll be talking about him as next week Le’Veon Bell will be returning from suspension. Williams has been fantastic this season averaging 26.6 FanDuel points a game and with a 46.5 point over under and the Steelers being a 3 point favorite I would not hesitate plugging him in cash games, tournaments and anywhere else you can add him. He’s that good.

Wide Receivers

Last week wasn’t a bad week for us at the Wide Receiver (WR) position. Odell Beckham Jr did lay an egg on us but them again so did Eli Manning. Last week was one of those weeks I guess. Anyway; there are a bunch of WR’s with extremely good opportunities this week. I’ve narrowed them down to five so here we go.

I’m strongly considering going right back to the well this week with Beckham Jr ($8,900) and his matchup at home against the Washington Redskins is about as good as it gets. The Redskins this season have allowed WR’s to score 29.90 Fantasy points a game and while Beckham Jr. has yet to have the big game we’ve been hoping for Sunday could change all of that. Good over under of 46 points and the New York Giants are an early week 4 point favorite. Beckham Jr. has 19 targets this season catching 12 of them and is averaging just 10.9 FanDuel points a game. That’s too low of a floor for cash but I would consider him in tournaments this week.

The San Diego Chargers WR Travis Benjamin ($6,900) will most likely be the most widely owned WR this week and for good reason; his price point is amazing and his matchup this week on the road against the Indianapolis Colts has huge upside potential. The Colts have allowed WR’s to average just 18.80 Fantasy points but this is by far the best offense that team will face so far this season. Benjamin is averaging 16.9 FanDuel points a game, 14 targets and 13 catches for a couple of touchdowns and 147 yards. This game has the largest over under (51.5) on the main slate and see’s the Colts as an early week 3 point favorite. Benjamin goes in cash and tournaments this week.

I’m going to stay with that Colts Chargers game and look to the Colts WR T.Y. Hilton ($7,400). This season the Chargers have allowed WR’s to score 21.75 Fantasy points a game and in a ballgame with that kind of scoring potential it’s difficult not to roster Hilton. For the season Hilton is averaging just 8.5 FanDuel points yet has been targeted 23 times this season. Like Beckham Jr. he hasn’t had the big game we’ve been hoping for but this game has all the makings for big game potential from Hilton. I would only use Hilton in tournaments at this point of the season.

The Minnesota Vikings WR Stefon Diggs ($6,400) is having a great start to his 2016 campaign averaging 21.2 FanDuel points a game. He has a boom or bust type of matchup this week on the road with the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are an early 7 point favorite with a lower than usual 43 point over under and have held WR’s to just 13.95 Fantasy points a game but I like Diggs anyway. No matter who the QB is Diggs has been the main man and last week Diggs and QB Sam Bradford hooked up for 182 yards and a touchdown. Boom or bust plays belong in tournaments but I could see you using him in cash games this week.

The Oakland Raiders have allowed WR’s to average 43.75 Fantasy points a game and that bodes well for the Tennessee Titans WR Tajae Sharp ($5,800) this week. This game has a solid 47 point over under with the Titans a slim 1.5 point favorite. Plenty of points in a close game at this price point is difficult to pass up. Sharp is averaging 8.2 FanDuel points a game and while that seems low he’s also averaging 9 targets and 55 yards a game. He’ll most likely have his chances to shine this week and at this price you stick him in a tournament and hope he goes off on Sunday.

Tight Ends

We’re wrapping up our week three FanDuel Fantasy Football coverage with Tight Ends (TE). I don’t know about you but for me choosing my TE is the most difficult part of my week. My touts last week did okay; Delanie Walker had 17.8 points, Clive Walford scored 17 points, Kyle Rudolph had 10 points, Marcedes Lewis had 8.7 points and Jason Witten had 6 points…….guess who my main TE was?

Outside of Witten the touts went pretty well….let’s see if we can’t find 5 TE’s that can blow it up this week and make us all some cash.

Tennessee Titans TE Delanie Walker ($6,900) has a terrific matchup this week at home against the Oakland Raiders. The Titans are currently a slight 1 point favorite with a 47 point over under. The Raiders have allowed TE’s to score an average of 12.30 Fantasy points per game and Walker is averaging 11.5 FanDuel points per game. Walker is averaging roughly 6 targets a game and it looks as though the game flow will keep Walker in the game all the way to the end. Walker has had some hamstring issues so keep your eye on his situation and act accordingly.

The Washington Redskins are visiting the New York Giants on Sunday and I’m considering Redskins TE Jordan Reed ($7,500). This season Reed has been solid averaging 9.5 FanDuel points a game and seems to be a favorite of QB Kirk Cousins. Reed is averaging 9 targets a game and roughly 64 yards a game for the Redskins. The Giants have allowed TE’s 5.80 Fantasy points a game and while that does look difficult for Reed I like the 46 point over under and being a 4.5 point road underdog seems to me like Reed might see a bit more work than usual on Sunday.

I really like the Detroit Lions TE Eric Ebron ($5,600) this week on the road against the Green Bay Packers. Ebron has been solid for the Lions this season averaging roughly 6 targets and 10.2 FanDuel Fantasy points a game. The Packers have allowed TE’s to average 13.15 Fantasy points a night and the over under of 47 points with the Packers favored by 7 points makes me think Ebron will have plenty of opportunities to rack up catches. There is some question whether Ebron will be playing on Sunday but he did practice in a limited capacity on Thursday so I think he might go but as always check and see if Ebron is playing on Sunday before you roster him.

The Carolina Panthers TE Greg Olsen ($7,800) is having a terrific season averaging 15.8 FanDuel points per game. This Sunday the Panthers host the Minnesota Vikings and I like the 43 point over under and the Panthers being 7 point home favorites. The Vikings have allowed TE’s to score a paltry 4.90 Fantasy points a game but let’s face it; this Viking team hasn’t seen a TE like Olsen all year long so I take that stat with a grain of salt. Olsen is a big part of the Panthers offense averaging roughly 9 targets a game and I think he’ll be very active this Sunday.

Green Bay Packers TE Jared Cook ($5,000) has an outstanding matchup against the Lions on Sunday. The Lions have allowed TE’s a league worst 21.95 Fantasy points a contest and while Cook hasn’t exactly set the world on fire he did lead the Packers in targets last week (6) and has 8 targets altogether. This one is a longshot but stranger things have happened.